Tuesday, December 18, 2012

What's Become Of The Baby This Cold December Morning ( Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "What's Become of the Baby")




Our children have been asking a lot of questions this week. These haven’t been the normal types of questions that kids ask. This have been the types of questions that one asks when thing appear random, senseless and tragic. Our children have come to accept that sad things happen. A child dies because of sickness, or because of car accident or even in some very unsafe places where children are exposed to the ravages of war. We talk about these things and we acknowledge that sad things happen yet despite that our children know that there are some places that provide sanctuary and safety. Now we answer questions like “why would a 23 year old want to kill a bunch of first graders in Connecticut?” “How did this person get so many guns?” “How can such a thing happen to little kids in school?” Needless to say, this was not what I had in mind when I signed up to be a parent of 4 over twenty two years ago. Yet now, our kids, like so many, are asking very difficult questions for which there are no simple or particularly acceptable answers.
This week’s Torah portion is VaYigash.  The confrontation between Yosef and his brothers is about to occur. The Parshah begins with Yehudah approaching his brother Yosef, whom he does not recognize, and pleads for Benjamin’s freedom.  Yosef reveals his identity and the brothers hug and kiss each other. They cry and they forgive each other. Yosef asks about his father’s welfare. The brother’s return to their father, Yaakov, and tell him that Yosef is alive. The brothers add that everyone, the entire clan, should go down to Egypt. So this clan, including: Jacob, the brothers, their wives and children, heads down to Egypt. Yaakov meets Pharaoh. Yosef’s family is given a parcel of land outside of Egypt in a place called Goshen, where they can tend to their flocks. Yaakov is re-united with his beloved Yosef in the land of Goshen.
It would appear that everything has gone according to some type of plan. The brothers bowed down to Yosef, just like Yosef dreamt. Yosef’s father and his father’s wives have bowed down to Yosef just like Yosef dreamt. A family that was promised the land of Canaan has now travelled down to Egypt fulfilling the plan that had been revealed to Yaakov’s father, Avraham as well as to Yaakov. Clearly the Avot, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov were privy to God’s plan: their descendents would go down to Egypt, become slaves and eventually be redeemed and returned to the Eretz Yisroel. God explicitly revealed that plan as far back as Parsha Lech Lecha when Avraham first left home and entered the land.  However God never explicitly revealed the plan to Yosef. Yet he apparently gives every indication that he knows God’s plan.  When Yosef reveals himself to his brothers he says: Ani Yosef Acheichem Asher M’ChaRtem Oti Mitzrayaima – I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt. VAtah, Al Tei’Atzvu v’Al Yichar B’eineichem Ki M’ChaRtem Oti Heina  Now, don’t be upset or angry with yourselves that you sold me there; Ki Limchya Sh’LaChani Elohim Lifneichemit was to save life that God sent me before you. Va’Yishlacheini Elohim Lifneichem LaSum Lachem Sh’Eirit Ba’Aretz UlHaCHayot Lachem Lifleitah Gedolah - God has sent me ahead of you to ensure your survival on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance (Gen 45:5-7). When referring to his brothers, Yosef explains that they M’Char (sold) him into Egypt as a slave. However when Yosef refers to God, the verb is not “sell” but rather SHaLaCh - “sent”. The brothers, who are not privy to any plan, who have no aptitude for Navuah (prophecy) perceive that they sold Yosef into Egypt and therefore have great remorse for having done so. However Yosef apparently does have access to the plan realizes that no sale could have occurred but rather Yosef’s descent to Egypt was part of providential mission.  When the brothers fail to indicate that they understand two revelations are simultaneously occurring. First Yosef has revealed his identity and second, Yosef is trying to reveal God’s plan. Finally, Yosef makes the plan abundantly clear. He was sent to Egypt by God in order to save the brothers, their father, and everyone who belonged to this tribe.  V’Atah Lo Atem Shlachtem Oti Heinah Ki HaElohimSo it was not you who sent me here, but God. Because Yosef is keenly aware of the plan he bears no animosity towards the brothers. Yosef reveals the plan to the brothers so that they can get past what heinous act that they perceived to have committed.
As we have tried to explain and comfort our children following the horrible tragedy that occurred in Connecticut; our children saw our anguish and our tears. We have watched the aftermath on the news. We have seen the funerals, we have heard about the random acts of kindness, we have watch and listened as some pundits and politicians discuss the perceived improvement of gun control in the United States. It was our ten year old who finally commented that she guesses we are not allowed to the plan.  I suggested that perhaps the plan is as simple as making sure that none of lives of those twenty children and six adults were wasted in life or a purposeless death.  Maybe the plan really is simple, as we are being reminded to live a meaningful life and god forbid, when loved ones die, or sad or even bad things happen to our loved ones, we figure out a way to learn and grow from such an experience.  No, it didn’t sit so well with me.  But like the Psalm says: V’Chesed Adoshem Mei’Olam V’Ad Olam Al Yirei’av V’Tzidkato Livnei VanimBut the kindness of Hashem is forever and ever upon those who are in awe of Him, and His righteousness is upon children’s children (Ps. 103:17). Children have a pure and simple faith in God, and God continues to have faith in the children to bring goodness and righteousness to this world.

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